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Apple HomeView turns web recipes into hands-free cooking instructions

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A picture of Apple HomeView used in a story about the device being useful for recipes.
With Apple HomeView, recipes appear as a visual step-by-step guide.
Photo: Apple

Using recipes on the new HomeView will apparently be even easier than Apple’s pitch suggests. Handoff will be able to move a recipe straight from your iPhone to the display, and then the smart screen can automatically display step-by-step instructions with hands-free timers.

That matters a lot in the kitchen, where messy hands and a locked phone rarely mix.

Apple HomeView recipes may start with Handoff

Finding recipes online is easier than ever, with countless websites offering everything from quick weeknight dinners to elaborate, restaurant-style dishes. But turning those recipes into actual meals isn’t always as simple.

You need to keep track of ingredients, follow a series of steps, and watch cooking times, often while juggling several tasks in a busy kitchen. Plus, reading instructions on an iPhone propped against a jar can be awkward, especially when your hands are covered in flour or raw ingredients.

A smart display like Apple’s new HomeView could make the process much easier by putting recipes, ingredient lists and timers right where you need them. And Apple supposedly designed the device for exactly that purpose. 

A user who goes by the name Canoopsy on X says you can pull up a recipe on your iPhone, hold it next to a HomeView, and Apple’s Handoff feature will transfer the essential information to the home hub.

The HomeView then pulls out the ingredients list and shows every step of the cooking process. Canoopsy, who posted a video of the process, says the home hub can even recognize the timers in each step and automatically set them.

“It’s incredibly seamless and useful,” Canoopsy wrote, describing HomeView’s recipe feature as “an incredible addition to the kitchen.”

That’s more detail than Apple itself gave when introducing HomeView on Tuesday. It says the new home hub can convert recipes from the web into step-by-step instructions. They come with hands-free timer control and ingredient tracking.

Images in Apple’s announcement show a butternut squash soup recipe on the display. Another shows a timer set for 15 minutes. But that does not explain how the conversion works.

Moreover, an active timer can also appear as a Live Activity. This keeps it glanceable while you do something else.

The screen suits a busy kitchen

HomeView sports a square display that measures 7 inches diagonally, with the interface changing based on how far away you stand. It shows simple information when you are far away, with richer detail appearing as you step closer.

That could help when you move between the stove and the counter. Apple says the kitchen counter is an ideal spot for the tabletop model. (HomeView also comes in a wall-mount version.)

The catches to know about

Siri AI is currently in beta on HomeView, which runs on HomeView software version 27.2. Apple says certain features that rely on server-side models are subject to daily usage limits. That means expanded access will be available for a fee in the future.

Preorders for both HomeView models cost $299 in the United States. For anyone who regularly cooks with an iPhone perched precariously on a countertop, HomeView could provide a serious kitchen upgrade.

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